Getting playoff experience
 

Tonight I had my first competitive varsity playoff game behind the plate. I had 2 plate playoff games a couple and three years ago, but they were 1 vs 8 seed games; run rule mismatches so there was no sense of drama at any point in either of those. I've also had a base game that was about as uneventful.

Today was different, a 5-4 walkoff game with 4 lead changes and intensity throughout.

I saw this as my first real opportunity to take a step forward in my association as an umpire who can work "money" games.

All in all I thought I did well. My zone was consistent all night, but without deliberately deciding to do so, I found myself calling a very conservative strike zone on the top and bottom. I'm not sure that I was ever as conservative as I was tonight.

In reflecting upon this, I was surprised by how I handled this game. My best attempt to make sense of this is that sub-conciously I was trying to avoid "me" becoming an issue in the game in a way that might interfere with my focus on doing my job so I minimized the chance of that happening.

Any comments on how we do unexpected things in "big games?"

There was another issue late in the game that provided just the type of distraction that I didn't need.

As the game matured and the "underdog" visitor took a lead and then was tied, their pitcher began rushing. I could have called an IP for not simulating taking her signals after stepping on the plate, but quietly told F2 to go out and tell her to slow down. F2's attempts were only partially successful. So with every runner now being a potential winning run, I do not want to have an IP call be a factor in deciding the game. So I'm watching F1 on every pitch and if there appears to be any chance that she is going to deliver too quickly I hold up both hands and recite the count as slowly as I can speak; yea I'm giving the count on nearly every pitch. It did slow F1 down, but after the walkoff winning hit in the bottom of the 7th, I realized that the extra babysitting I did had taken up a lot of my mental energy. I was pretty spent walking off that field.

So I guess I did a successful job of preventive umpiring, but I also learned that one does it at the risk of taking your head out of the game. So that has given me something to think about for my next playoff game... tomorrow as U1.

I think that if this were a regular season game, and I just let things take their natural course, I probably would have wound up with 2 or 3 IP's.

I've got to say the playoffs are a different kettle of fish.

Congrats on a "good" playoff game. My advise for what it's worth, treat every game you do like it is a "big game". Treat every game you do like it's a playoff game. You do that, and I mean really treat everygame the same, a big playoff game will just be another game and you will follow your normal routine. There should be no difference in the way you treat a regular season game and a playoff game. We are like a softball team, we do the regular season to prepare us and get us in shape for the playoffs. That's my ramblings.

Also, IMO, you should have called the IPs. There is no place for warnings at that level of ball. But since you told the catcher to go out and tell her and the pitcher more or less ignored you, BANG, call it!!

If the pitcher stepped on the plate, paused with the hands apart, and pitched, then leave it alone, ASA speaking and I believe Fed case book has similar play. If can't find reference (FED), will report back.

What proof are you going to provide your UIC that the pitcher did not appear to take a signal when she assumed the pitching position. Of course, if she walks through the p .. plate, that is another horse.

I'll second Dholloway's comments about treating each game like it's a playoff game. I try my best to approach each game like it's a National, and that helps to keep me focused. It sounds like you were in the zone that game, and that's such an awesome feeling when you're out on the field. :cool:

If I have to "prove" something to an UIC when it comes to a judgment call on something like this, there could be someone going to jail. If UIC wants to ding me on a rule, mechanics, whatever, that is fine. Our association UIC is great in this regard. Now, if you truly muck it up he will be in your grill -- but in a good way.

I know some UICs go out of their way sometimes to be "good guys" or whatever, only to do more harm than good. For instance, at a recent tournament the tourney UIC went out of his way to "warn" the pitcher that she needed to do something different out there in the circle. The opposing coach happened to be about three feet away in the 3B coaching box. He practically incited a riot which carried on all day.

If I'm PU and I have IP, I will fix it.

Couldn't you have called "no pitch" per 6-2-4b (OP lacks detail as to why/how you discerned that she wasn't simulating or taking the sign)...no penalty for that.
BTW I am assuming its FED (varsity game and all) :)
Sounds like you worked hard and did a good job. (if it was easy, EVERYONE would be doing it)

First, 99 times out of 100, the proper call here is NO PITCH (for the quick pitch), not IP. That would be my first action to slow her down...

"NO PITCH" (me, hands raised, stepping out from behind the plate). "Pitcher, wait until everyone is set." 9 times out of 10, with a high school age pitcher, this will be the end of the QPs.

But, if it isn't, I might do the "no pitch" a time or two more, and if she still does not get the message, she is getting the stop sign from me on every pitch, probably exaggerated at first, accompanied with "the look". Gradually doing away with it, but if the QP's resume, (which it never has in my experience), further action would be warranted, including IP's, and maybe it just might happen that the first of these is with a runner on base. ;)

I really don't know if my approach to this is "proper" with the NUS, NFHS, etc., but it does work.

I agree.

I think there is a difference between a "quick pitch", when the batter isn't set, and failure to "pause with hands separated to take or simulate taking a signal". I agree with Tom in the first case; slow them down with your game mangement skills.

I don't see a "no pitch" as appropriate in the second case; either make the IP call, or try to fix it with the catcher messenger. After that, as others have said, you make the call. Personally, I look to make that call early, with no runners, sending the message that it will be enforced. After that, let the chips fall when the pitcher violates.

I was visualizing the walk-through pitch (no pause) in a effort to catch the batter unawares. I view this as "either-or" on which rule to enforce: 6-2-4-b or 6-1-1-b. I start with "quick pitch". Pitchers almost always cut it out after the first NO PITCH call.

The "walk-through" pitch doesn't always meet the criteria of a quick pitch and all violations of this type are not "walk through" pitches. Pitcher stands behind the pitcher's plate staring at catcher for a few seconds, batter gets in the box and is ready for pitch, pitcher steps the pitcher's plater, immediately brings hands together and starts pitching motion or holds ball with hands together for a couple of seconds and then starts pitching motion.

Both are illegal pitches because the pitcher did not meet the requirements of Rule 6-1-1 parts a and b:

a. "... with the hands separated."
b. "... the pitcher shall take (or simulate taking) a signal from the catcher."

This would not be a quick pitch because the batter is ready.

Rule citations are NFHS.

From the OP:

What is forgotten is that if you do not call the IP (if one occurs) you are also a factor in the game. An official should call the game according to the rules from the time the contest starts until it is over. If there is an infraction, it should be called. The official making the call is not the reason that a penalty was applied, the direct cause was the player/coach/team that committed the infraction.

We do the teams and our fellow umpires a disservice when we let infractions slide because we might take some heat for making the correct call.

Could you restate this for clarification?

Pitcher has ball, standing behind pitcher's plate, looking at catcher for a few seconds (I am not assuming what she is doing).

While pitcher is standing behind pitcher's plate the batter gets into the batter's box and gets ready to receive pitch.

Pitcher steps onto the pitcher's plate and immediately brings hands together.

She either - goes into pitching motion immediately OR stands with her hands together for a few seconds and then goes into her pitching motion.

In both cases it is an illegal pitch, but can not be a quick pitch because the batter was ready to receive the pitch.

BTW - I edited my earlier post to remove the dreaded small ball language.

I probably wouldn't have a problem with this one. Around here, we are lucky just to get some of the HS pitchers to step onto the plate with their hands separated.